Concrete Lifting Anchor

ABSTRACT

An elongate substantially planar lifting anchor ( 61, 161, 261, 361 ) to be embedded in concrete panels ( 2 ) and the like is disclosed. The anchor ( 61, 161, 261, 361 ) has a through aperture ( 63 ) adjacent one end ( 65 ) and the other end ( 34 ) is adapted to form a mechanical interlocking anchor with the concrete of the panel ( 2 ) in which the other end ( 34 ) is embedded, wherein the through aperture ( 63 ) is shaped to simultaneously receive both a lifting shackle ( 28 ) and a reinforcing member ( 263 ). The concrete panel incorporates at least one of the abovementioned elongate substantially planar lifting anchors ( 61, 161, 261, 361 ) and a method of lifting a concrete panel ( 2 ) in which a lifting anchor has been embedded comprises the steps of:
     (i) passing the lifting anchor ( 61, 161, 261, 361 ) through the aperture ( 63 ), and   (ii) lifting the shackle ( 28 ) to transfer load directly to the reinforcing member ( 263 ) and thereby raise the panel ( 2 ).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to concrete lifting anchors. Lifting anchors to be embedded in a concrete element are known to enable the concrete element to be safely lifted and manoeuvred without damage. In order for concrete elements to be safely lifted using anchors located therein the tensile and shearing forces generated in the anchors by the application of the lifting force need to be transferred to the surrounding concrete without either failure of the anchor or of the concrete element.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

If the magnitude of the forces transferred to the concrete exceeds the strength of the concrete at the location of the anchor then the concrete may crack or even fail completely.

There are three basic techniques for transferring the loads to the concrete. Firstly, the anchor is provided with features which result in a mechanical interlock between the anchor and the surrounding concrete. The interlock may be achieved by a substantial enlargement of the anchor body at the end embedded in the concrete or by deformations along the length of the anchor body. This is the simplest and cheapest method.

Secondly, the anchor is mechanically connected to a deeply embedded reinforcing element, eg a “hanger bar” which distributes the load over a large volume of concrete.

Thirdly, the anchor is mechanically attached to the reinforcing steel of the concrete element, e.g. by welding to the reinforcing. Welding is often not desirable because reinforcing steels may not be suitable for welding and may also be substantially weakened at the site of the weld or attempted weld.

In most cases, lifting anchors are designed to be used without additional reinforcement, relying on mechanical interlock to transfer the loads into the concrete. The maximum load which these anchors may transfer to the concrete is determined by the geometry of the anchor and the concrete element, the location of the anchor within the element, and the tensile strength of the concrete and the depth of embedment.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The genesis of the present invention is a desire to provide an improved lifting anchor, and concrete element containing same.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed an elongate substantially planar lifting anchor to be embedded in concrete panels and the like, said anchor having a through aperture adjacent one end and the other end being adapted to form a mechanical interlocking anchor with the concrete of said panel in which said other end is embedded, wherein said through aperture is of non-circular cross-section, shaped to mate with a recess former with which the anchor is set into place in the concrete.

Preferably the through aperture is shaped to simultaneously receive both a lifting shackle and a reinforcing member.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a concrete element such as a building panel incorporating at least one of the abovementioned elongate substantially planar lifting anchors.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of lifting a concrete panel in which a lifting anchor has been embedded, said anchor having a single aperture shaped to simultaneously receive both a lifting anchor and a reinforcing member, said method comprising the steps of:

(i) passing a lifting anchor through said aperture, and (ii) lifting said shackle to transfer load directly to said reinforcing member and thereby raise said panel.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of lifting a concrete panel in which a lifting anchor has been embedded in concrete panels and the like, said anchor having a through aperture adjacent one end and the other end being adapted to form a mechanical interlocking anchor with the concrete of said panel in which said other end is embedded, wherein said through aperture is of non-circular cross-section, shaped to mate with a recess former with which the anchor is set into place in the concrete.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining the creation of a “concrete shear cone”,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a prior art panel and anchor,

FIG. 3 is a partial top perspective view of a prior art panel together with a longitudinal cross section through that panel,

FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal cross section through a prior art concrete panel together with an end view of that panel,

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of one end of a prior art panel showing lifting thereof,

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of a prior art anchor and lifting arrangement,

FIG. 7 is an end view, a front view and a side view of a prior art anchor,

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a prior art panel fitted with the anchors of FIGS. 6 and 7,

FIG. 9 illustrates front, side and perspective views of another prior art anchor,

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of two prior art anchors having castellations

FIG. 11 is a truncated side elevation of a still further prior art anchor on the right engaged with a lifting device on the left,

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a prior art “hair pin” anchor,

FIG. 13 is a side elevation of a still further prior art anchor,

FIGS. 14 and 15 are views similar to FIG. 13 but each of a different prior art anchor,

FIG. 16 is a side elevation of a prior art anchor fitted with a reinforcing element and showing concrete failure from the reinforcing element toward the upper surface,

FIG. 17 is a longitudinal section through a concrete panel illustrating a still further prior art anchor,

FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIG. 17 but illustrating an anchor of a first embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 19 is a view similar to FIG. 18 but of an anchor of a second embodiment,

FIGS. 20 and 21 illustrate two embodiments in relation to the concrete panel,

FIG. 22 is a front view of a further embodiment of the anchor,

FIGS. 23-25 are perspective views of three still further embodiments of the present invention,

FIGS. 26-33 are plan views each of another embodiment,

FIGS. 35-38 are edge elevations of four still further embodiments,

FIGS. 39-45 are each a plan view of a different plate used with an embodiment of the type of anchor illustrated in FIG. 10,

FIGS. 46-54 are each a plan view of different embodiments of the type of anchor illustrated in FIGS. 26-34,

FIG. 55 is a perspective view of the anchor of FIG. 18 shown attached to a recess former of a preferred embodiment prior to be set in a concrete slab,

FIG. 56 is a cutaway transverse section of the anchor and recess former of FIG. 55,

FIG. 57 is a longitudinal section of the anchor and recess former of FIG. 55,

FIG. 58 is an exploded perspective view of the anchor and recess former of FIG. 55 showing how the anchor is attached to the recess former,

FIG. 59 is a cutaway transverse section showing the anchor of FIG. 55 embedded in a slab with its head located within a recess formed by the recess former,

FIG. 60 is a perspective view of the anchor of FIG. 18 shown attached to a recess former of another preferred embodiment prior to be set in a concrete slab,

FIG. 61 is a longitudinal section of the anchor and recess former of FIG. 60, is a front view of a further embodiment of the anchor, and

FIG. 62 is a cutaway transverse section showing the anchor embedded in a slab with its head located within a recess formed by the recess former of FIG. 60.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now to FIG. 1, smooth bodies inserted into concrete can pull out of the concrete by slipping. If the surface of the body is interrupted by lateral deformations or if the body contains enlargements, the body will interlock with the surrounding concrete and slippage is no longer possible.

Provided that the anchor is not able to slip out of the concrete and is able to fully transfer the loads to the concrete, the failure of the anchor occurs when the concrete surrounding the anchor fails. This type of failure results in a cone of concrete surrounding the anchor being pulled out of the concrete component. The cone is known as a “concrete shear cone” and the failure is known as “concrete cone failure”. If the anchor is located within the concrete element, well away from any edges then the cone will be fully developed and substantially symmetrical. The diameter of the cone at the concrete surface is typically approximately six times the depth of embedment of the anchor which is the lowest point along the anchor body at which interlock has been achieved with the surrounding concrete.

The load at which the cone pulls from the concrete is related to the conical surface area of the cone and this is proportional to the square of the embedment depth “d”, the centre spacing “c” and the distance to any edge “a” as shown in FIG. 1. In order for the cone to be pulled from the concrete the concrete must fail by shearing along the cone surface.

If the anchor is located close to an edge as illustrated in FIG. 2, then the shape of the cone is truncated, its area reduced and the load at which pullout occurs is proportionately less than the load for a full cone.

Generally anchors 1 are placed as far away from the edges of a panel 2 as is possible to achieve the development of the full concrete shear cone. Anchors are designed for their maximum load capacity by choosing an embedment length and expected concrete tensile strength to develop the full concrete shear cone at the mechanical strength of the anchor itself

A significant problem arises in particular in the maneuvering of thin concrete panels 2 as illustrated in FIG. 3 and used in building construction because the anchors 1 are located in the edges of these panels 2. In these cases the full concrete shear cone cannot be developed because the edge distance is much very less than the distance required to develop the cone. When the anchor 1 fails it instead pulls out a “pie” shaped segment of concrete.

If the anchor 1 is loaded perpendicular to its body, toward one of the faces of the concrete panel 2 as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the panel 2 is subjected to additional bending forces and the anchor 1 is rotated about its length in a “prising” action. The depth of embedment in this case is determined by the lowest point of the anchor where interlock is achieved away from the top face of the concrete. The final failure is often preceded by concrete cracking initiated from the part of the anchor which is closest to the top face of the concrete.

It is desirable to locate anchors in the edges of thin concrete panels 2 to enable them to be lifted into place with simple lifting equipment. This is particularly so when the panels 2 are to be used as walling panels or external cladding for buildings.

Most commonly, such thin concrete panels are cast on flat casting moulds rather than on their edges. Problems arise when these panels are to be tilted as illustrated in FIG. 5 from their horizontally cast position into the vertical position for erection into the building using lifting anchors located in the edges of the panels.

Both shear and tensile forces and combinations of both types are transferred through the anchors 1 into the concrete panels 2 during normal lifting operations.

Anchors and lifting devices used to connect them to the hoisting system have been used for many years in Australia. For example U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,676 (Haeussler) and Australian Patent Specification 50739/85 disclose the anchor embedded below the concrete surface within a recess 4 formed around the exposed head 6 of the anchor 5 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

Prior to this prior art innovation, lifting was achieved with threaded inserts (which were susceptible to fouling and damage) or loops of steel or other materials (which protruded from the surface). These loops were also susceptible to damage and made stacking and transport of the concrete panels difficult and required removal and expensive patching of the concrete component. The Haeussler anchors 5 provided a safe, simple multi-use connection point which overcame the limitations of conventional loops and threaded devices.

The Haeussler anchors 5 took the form of an anchor body 7 of a round transverse cross section, an enlarged “head” 6 to which was connected a “lifting-eye” 8 (a special pickup device), and an enlarged “foot” 10 at the distal end embedded in the concrete to provide efficient mechanical interlock with the concrete. These anchors 5 were manufactured cheaply by simple “upset” forging methods on machines used for mass production of bolts. The size and shape of the “foot” 10 was designed to maximise the transfer of tensile forces in the anchor 5 to the concrete to develop the maximum possible shear cone.

In a further development as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,675 (Arteon) and Australian Patent Specification No. 95391/94 (Mackay-Sim) the pullout strength of such anchors 5 in thin panels was improved by providing a transverse opening 9 in the distal end through which was passed a hanger reinforcement for deep embedment into the concrete.

When subject to shear forces, as indicated in FIG. 8, the lifting-eye 8 resolved the force into anchor tension by compressive reaction against the concrete.

In thin panels 2 this compression led to concrete failure toward the edge which allowed the anchor to bend and in some cases pullout of the anchor by prising from the panel.

Methods for reinforcing against this behaviour are disclosed in Australian Patent Specification No. 64207/94.

Another form of anchor 11 illustrated in FIG. 9 was developed by Fricker to resolve these problems and is disclosed in Australian Patent Specifications 41735/85 and 49841/90. These anchors 11 are substantially planar and of rectangular cross section capable of withstanding the application of shear forces parallel to their long side without bending. The body 12 has a transverse hole provided at one end for the connection of a special pickup device 18 known as a “ring-clutch”. The ring-clutch 18 has a hollow body of an annulus shape and the lifting shackle 28 is attached through the central hole. The lower portion of the ring-clutch 18 is slotted to fit over the head of the exposed anchor 11 and an arcuate ring slides within the body of the ring-clutch. The transverse hole 13 of the lifting anchor 11 is located at such distance from the end of the anchor that when the ring-clutch is located onto the end of the anchor, the hole 13 lies on the pitch circle diameter of the arcuate ring of the ring-clutch 18. Mechanical connection is achieved by fitting the ring-clutch 18 over the head of the anchor 11 and sliding the ring around and through the hole 13 in the anchor body 12.

The anchor body 12 and/or its distal end embedded in the concrete is provided with a means of transferring the loads into the concrete in the embedded section by either spreading the body shape by cutting, punching or forming and the provision of further transverse holes 19 through which additional reinforcing elements may be passed to improve transfer of the forces into the concrete.

A further development of these anchors by Fricker as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,856 and illustrated in FIG. 10 provided a shaped castellation 15 on the lifting end by which the rotation of the ring-clutch 18 about the centre of the hole 13, 113 in the anchor was prevented and shear loads transferred totally to the anchor 11. This prevented the ring-clutch 18 from bearing against the concrete surface and localised compression failure of the concrete toward the free edge of the concrete panel. The shear forces in the anchors 11 were transferred through “shear bars” located by cut-out sections or notches 17 in the lateral edges of the anchor body. The shear bars (not illustrated) extended down into the concrete below the centre of lift.

A further development of this anchor by Francies & Lancelot as disclosed in International Patent Specification No. WO 03/012214 included transverse apertures 19 for the fitment of additional reinforcement and an enlarged aperture to provide additional anchorage to the concrete. Another embodiment of this anchor (not illustrated) took the form of a substantially round bodied anchor of the Haeussler type but with a planar shaped head.

An alternate method of transferring the shear forces was developed by Ramset, was disclosed in Australian Patent Specification No. 51692/90 and is illustrated in FIG. 11. Here two flat surfaces 20 are provided one on either side of the longitudinal axis of the anchor and which restricted the rotation of the lifting device.

All of the foregoing anchors 5, 11 have a significant disadvantage in that being single bodied anchors designed for central location within the concrete panel 2 they may interfere with the placement of the reinforcing steel in the concrete panel and can be difficult to design and place.

Another prior art anchor 21 is illustrated in FIG. 12. The anchor 21 overcomes the problem of interference with the panel reinforcing and takes the form of a flat plate 26 capable of being attached to a ring-clutch through a transverse hole 23. Reinforcing steel bars 27 are attached by welding to the lateral edges of the flat plate 26 and positioned such that the upper projections of the side bars form the “castellation” 15 of FIG. 10 referred to in U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,856 (Fricker). The lower ends of the reinforcing bars 27 anchor the device 21 deep into the concrete for the transfer of forces. These have a “hairpin” shape and thus the anchors 21 are often referred to as “hairpin” anchors.

A disadvantage of this anchor 21 is that the anchor is produced by welding processes which are inappropriate for reinforcing materials and lifting devices.

Turning now to FIG. 13, this disadvantage is overcome by a further prior art anchor 31 which is a substantially planar anchor formed by cutting flat steel sheet into a complete “hairpin” shape of an upper body section 37 with transverse hole 33 and lower legs 34 cut with a wave-like, sawtooth or other deformation form along their lateral edges to provide anchorage to the concrete.

As seen in FIG. 14 and disclosed in Australian Patent Specification No. 94225/98, the anchor 31 was able to be manufactured by cutting processes which eliminated the requirement to punch or drill an additional transverse hole 33 for the passage of the lifting device.

The anchor 31 of FIG. 14 is, however, inefficient because the slot 38 leading to the hole 33 weakens the body of the anchor by reducing the section modulus through which the shear forces must be resisted and decouples the lower leg. The anchor is capable of transferring tensile loads but cannot adequately transfer the shear loads through the anchor body to the lower leg.

In a further development illustrated in FIG. 15 and disclosed in Australian Patent Application No. 27607/00 (Olivetti), a modified anchor 41 was created. The anchor 41 had a transverse aperture 43 sized and shaped for the attachment of the lifting device and a second or subsequent apertures 49 designed to accept supplementary anchor reinforcing elements. This device 41, as with other substantially planar devices 11 as in FIG. 10 enables the tensile load capacity to be supplemented by the attachment of additional reinforcing bars with additional transverse apertures 19, 49 provided for their fitment. The anchors 41 are therefore more expensive to manufacture than anchors such as 31 with only one aperture 13, 33 provided for the attachment of the lifting device.

When thin concrete panels are cast on horizontal moulds or “casting beds” and rotated into the vertical position with anchors located in the edges “edge-lift anchors”, the lifting forces perpendicular to the centreline of the anchor generate bending and shear forces in the anchor and shearing forces in the surrounding concrete toward the (upper) free surface of the panel in the lifting direction.

Edge-lift anchors are desirably made with a substantially rectangular cross-section with the long side of the rectangle aligned with the direction of the bending force and of a section modulus and strength sufficient to resist bending and distortion within the anchor itself. The transfer of the lifting force through the anchor body by compression of the surrounding concrete adjacent to the (upper) surface of the anchor in the direction of lift may be of sufficient magnitude to exceed the strength of the concrete itself, resulting in cracking or complete failure of the concrete by cone failure immediately above the anchor body. Various failure mechanisms are illustrated in FIGS. 16-19.

A disadvantage of the shear bars disclosed in Australian Patent Specification No. 41735/85 (Fricker) and illustrated in FIG. 9 is that deflection of the anchor body takes place before the shear bars are capable of properly transferring the load into the concrete below the anchor body. This is a result of both placement errors and the geometry of the bars. This results in either movement of the anchor or of the shear bar itself which applies a compressive load to the concrete resulting in cracking of the concrete as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 16 and “spalling” of the concrete surface immediately above the anchor. This is a common problem which results in expensive and unsightly repair of the panels, often after the panels have been lifted and erected into the building.

This problem is addressed in a modified form of anchor 5 as disclosed in Australian Patent Specification No. 60513/90 (Arteon) and illustrated in FIG. 17. Here the anchor 51 has lateral projections 52 to transfer the shear forces deeper into the concrete below the centre of lift. This device 51 efficiently transfers the loads but is difficult and expensive to manufacture.

Turning now to the first embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 18, if the upper body section of a hairpin anchor is sufficient to resist bending, then the load may be transferred through the anchor body to the lower leg of the anchor. The inside surfaces of the lower leg transfers the shear forces into the concrete below the centre of lift in a similar way to the method described in FIG. 17 but without the requirement for a separate lateral projection 52. The critical embedment depth to resist shear is therefore the distance between the upper surface of the concrete and the inside lateral edge of the lower hairpin leg.

A limitation of this type of anchor is determined by the geometry of the anchor with respect to the surface of the concrete. The minimum distance “concrete cover” between the surface of the outside lateral edge of the leg of the anchor and the concrete surface is fixed by serviceability requirements of construction standards.

The width of the hairpin leg is also determined by the requirement that its cross-sectional area be capable of withstanding a proportion of the tensile strength of the anchor to be transferred to the concrete. In the case of the most common arrangement which has two legs, each leg is designed to transfer half of the tensile load when the anchor is loaded axially.

In FIG. 18, the anchor 61 has legs 34 (as for the anchors 31 which can be cut with an interdigitated similar anchor), notches 17 (as for the anchor 11) and a head 65 shaped generally as for anchor 31. However, the anchor 61 has a single transverse through aperture 63 which is shaped (in a figure of 8 configuration in this embodiment) so as to simultaneously receive both the lifting shackle 28 and interior reinforcement 62. Thus the aperture 63 has two lobes, one (163) of which functions as the central opening 13 of the prior art, and the other (263) of which functions as the transverse hole 19 of the prior art.

In the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 19, the aperture 63 has the two lobes 163 and 263 offset relative to the longitudinal axis of the anchor 61.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the general arrangement of the anchor 61 of FIGS. 18 and 19 has the following desirable features:

(a) a means of providing a centre of lift which is aligned with the centre of mass of the panel,

(b) the distance between the upper surface of the anchor body and the upper free surface of the panel being a maximum to minimise cracking above the anchor toward the concrete surface,

(c) the embedment depth from the inside (upper) surface of its lower leg to the concrete surface being a maximum,

(d) respect for the requirements for concrete cover, and

(e) simplicity and cost of manufacture.

The anchor 61 avoids the limitations of prior art edge lift anchors and provides a universal anchor for lifting in tension and shear from anchors placed in the edges of thin concrete panels. The anchor 61 may be economically manufactured by mass production flame cutting or similar processes, interdigitizing the legs of the anchors to minimise waste.

The lifting and reinforcing elements are both located in one transverse aperture which gives an efficiency of manufacture.

A further development of this anchor provides an offset shear reinforcing surface of the hairpin legs from the centre of lift of the anchor body to increase the edge lifting capacity.

The shape and size of the transverse aperture 63 may be varied so as to provide a means of location for each separate element (i.e. the reinforcement 62 and shackle 28) in such a way that they do not interfere with each other whilst enabling each to function individually according to the various requirements.

Furthermore, FIGS. 20 and 21 illustrate an anchor embodiment in relation to the concrete panel 2, and a modified aperture 63 with offset respectively. FIG. 20 presents a plan view of a “hairpin” anchor embodiment where the centre line of the lifting aperture and centre line of the two anchoring legs are offset and a further embodiment in FIG. 21 where the centre line of the lifting aperture and reinforcing location are also offset.

FIG. 22 illustrates an anchor embodiment similar to that of FIG. 18 but having an extra cut out section or notch 17 to permit the location of both shear bars and other types of panel reinforcing bars to maximise the distance of the surface of the reinforcing bar from the surface of the panel, thereby allowing the anchor to be used in thinner panels without compromising the integrity of the panel with respect to the serviceability limit states for fire, corrosion and other effects.

Numerous embodiments of the basic anchor 61 can be fabricated and these are schematically illustrated in perspective views FIGS. 23-25 giving rise to anchors 161, 261 and 361 respectively.

Furthermore, in plan views FIGS. 26-34, eight different embodiments are illustrated each with a differently shaped aperture 63, and a ninth embodiment is illustrated with flared or inclined legs 34.

In four additional edge elevations, as seen in FIGS. 35-38, four different versions of the legs are illustrated, each of which is applicable to each of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 23-25 and 35-38.

FIGS. 39-45 illustrate a still further nine embodiments, each of a hairpin anchor of the type illustrated in FIG. 23 but in which the mechanical interlock with the concrete is formed by one of the corresponding seven plates illustrated.

FIGS. 46-54 illustrate a still further nine embodiments, each of a hairpin anchor of the type illustrated in FIG. 18 with variations of the aperture 63, notches 17 and additional aperture 64.

The above embodiments are summarised as follows:

FIG. 23 is a solid bodied, planar anchor with penetrations,

FIG. 24 is similar to 23, however with the lower section sheared and bent perpendicular to the plane of the anchor body,

FIG. 25 is similar to 23, however with the lower section cut to form two independent legs with or without waves or other deformations to provide concrete interlock,

FIG. 26 is a plan view of an anchor with generally circular aperture to be used with a circular lifting loop for lifting and a shaped location for reinforcement,

FIG. 27 is a plan view of an anchor with generally elongated circular aperture to be used with a circular lifting loop for lifting and a shaped location for reinforcement,

FIG. 28 is a plan view of an anchor with generally oval aperture to be used with an oval lifting loop for lifting and a shaped location for reinforcement,

FIG. 29 is a plan view of an anchor with generally pear shaped aperture to be used with a pear shaped lifting loop for lifting and a shaped location for reinforcement,

FIG. 30 is a plan view of an anchor with a rounded rectangular aperture to be used with a rounded rectangular lifting loop for lifting and a shaped location for reinforcement,

FIG. 31 is a plan view of an anchor with a generally teardrop shaped aperture to be used with a teardrop shaped lifting loop for lifting and a shaped location for reinforcement,

FIG. 32 is a plan view of an anchor with generally dog bone shaped aperture to be used with a dog bone shaped lifting loop for lifting and a shaped location for reinforcement,

FIG. 33 is a plan view of an anchor with any of the previous embodiments and multiple lobes for location of reinforcing elements,

FIG. 34 is a plan view of any of the previous embodiments with the anchoring legs of the anchor deformed laterally outwards to improve the interlock with the concrete,

FIG. 35 is a side elevation of any of the embodiments with a generally planar form,

FIG. 36 is a side elevation of any of the embodiments where part or all of the anchor body or the anchoring legs defined in any of the embodiments in FIGS. 26-34 are sheared perpendicular to the plane of the anchor body,

FIG. 37 is a side elevation of any of the embodiments with a generally planar form but where the ends of the anchor embedded in concrete are bent outwardly in a generally perpendicular direction to the plane of the body of the anchor, and

FIG. 38 is a side elevation of any of the embodiments with a generally planar form where all or part of the anchoring part of the body is deformed into a wave like shape in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the anchor body.

FIG. 39 is a solid bodied planar anchor with shaped penetration for the location of lifting and reinforcing elements with additional penetrations for reinforcing elements, one or more of which are offset to the centre line of the lifting aperture,

FIG. 40 is a solid bodied planar anchor with shaped penetration for the location of lifting and reinforcing elements with additional penetrations for reinforcing elements and a wave shaped lower body section to provide concrete interlock,

FIG. 41 is a solid bodied planar anchor with shaped penetration for the location of lifting and reinforcing elements with additional penetrations for reinforcing elements and a frustrum shaped lower body section to provide concrete interlock,

FIG. 42 is a solid bodied planar anchor with shaped penetration for the location of lifting and reinforcing elements with additional penetrations for reinforcing elements and a wave shaped lower body section to provide concrete interlock. The lower section of the body is offset from the centre of lift of the anchor,

FIG. 43 is an anchor of embodiment FIG. 42 where the shaped penetration for the location of reinforcing elements is offset from the centre of lift of the anchor,

FIG. 44 is an anchor of embodiment FIG. 42 where the centre of lift is offset to both the upper section of the anchor and to the lower body section which provides interlock with the concrete,

FIG. 45 is an anchor of embodiment FIG. 44 where the aperture for the location of a reinforcing element is offset to the location of the lifting aperture. The centre of lift is offset to the upper section of the anchor and to the lower body section which provides interlock with the concrete,

FIG. 46 is an anchor with a keyhole shaped aperture,

FIG. 47 is an anchor with a teardrop shaped aperture,

FIG. 48 is an anchor with a modified keyhole shaped aperture where the rounded section is elongated,

FIG. 49 is an anchor with a keyhole shaped aperture with an additional aperture for a reinforcing element,

FIG. 50 is an anchor with a teardrop shaped aperture with an additional aperture for a reinforcing element,

FIG. 51 is an anchor with a modified keyhole shaped aperture with an additional aperture for a reinforcing element,

FIG. 52 is an anchor with a keyhole shaped aperture with an additional aperture for a reinforcing element with twin notches on side for both shear bar and a reinforcing bar,

FIG. 53 is an anchor with a teardrop shaped aperture with an additional aperture for a reinforcing element with twin notches on side for both shear bar and a reinforcing bar, and

FIG. 54 is an anchor with a modified keyhole shaped aperture with an additional aperture for a reinforcing element with twin notches on side for both shear bar and a reinforcing bar.

The anchor 61 of the preferred embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 55 to 62 being attached to a recess former 70 and cast into a concrete slab 90 such that the attachment end of the anchor 61 is accessible to attach a lifting shackle thereto. The recess former 70 has a truncated semi-spherical shape formed in two halves 71 and 72 with a slot 73 adapted to receive the attachment end 74 of the lifting anchor 61. The two halves 71 and 72 have a central section which is flexible and acts as the hinge. The recess former 70 includes a removable plug 76 which fits into a transverse aperture 63 of the lifting anchor 61. The plug 76 extends from both facing surfaces 78 and 79 of the lifting anchor 61 such that it enables a means of mechanical connection with the surrounding body of the recess former 70. The ends of the plug 76 are shaped to engage with corresponding receiving recesses 80 and 81 in the interior surfaces of the slot 73.

The recess former also has side flaps 82 extending along the longitudinal sides of the two halves 73 and 72 such that the attachment end 74 of the anchor 61 is enclosed by the recess former 70. This arrangement means that a gap 91 is formed between the attachment end 74 of the anchor 61 and the surface 92 of the recess 93 formed in the concrete slab 90. Thus when the recess former 70 is removed from the slab 90 ready to be lifted, the attachment end 74 is free from the surface of the concrete and therefore does not transfer the lifting load to the concrete at this location. The attachment end 74 is free to deflect without cracking the concrete within the vicinity of the recess. This is a preferred arrangement and the side flaps can be dispensed with resulting in no gap 91 being formed if so desired.

Also seen in FIGS. 55 to 62, the flaps 82 formed on the sides of the recess former 70 provide a guide 83 for the positioning of the steel reinforcing bars which can be placed in the notches 67 on the side of the attachment end 74 of the anchor 61.

The recess former 70 is removed from the hardened concrete by rotating each half 71 and 72 of the recess former 70 about the central hinge section, thereby releasing the recess former 70 from the plug 76 and anchor 61. After the removal of the plug 76 from the attachment end 74 of the anchor 61, the transverse aperture 63 in the exposed anchor 61 is exposed with a clean surface through which the attachment device or lifting shackle may be easily connected.

In the variation of this embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 60 to 62, the recess former 70 has in addition of a pair of rectangular lugs 85 abutting the anchor 61 and are adapted to fit into the slot portion 68 of the aperture 63 of the anchor 61. These lugs 85 prevent a bridge of concrete forming in this slot portion when casting the concrete, whereby such a bridge if formed can mechanically interfere with the body of the lifting device being secured to the anchor thereby making connection difficult.

The foregoing describes only some embodiment of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the concrete arts, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The term “comprising” (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of “including” or “having” and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of”. 

1. An elongate substantially planar lifting anchor to be embedded in concrete panels and the like, said anchor having a through aperture adjacent one end and the other end being adapted to form a mechanical interlocking anchor with the concrete of said panel in which said other end is embedded, wherein said through aperture is of non-circular cross-section, shaped to mate with a recess former with which the anchor is set into place in the concrete.
 2. The anchor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the through aperture is shaped to simultaneously receive both a lifting shackle and a reinforcing member.
 3. The anchor as claimed in claim 2 wherein the through aperture is shaped to minimise the distance between the lifting shackle and the reinforcing member.
 4. The anchor as claimed in claim 3 wherein the through aperture is shaped to mate with a lifting shackle having a non-circular transverse cross-section.
 5. The anchor as claimed in claim 2 wherein said anchor has at least one additional through aperture for receiving a reinforcing element.
 6. The anchor as claimed in claim 1 and having a longitudinal axis, the centre of lift of said lifting shackle applied to said through aperture being substantially aligned with said longitudinal axis, and said through aperture being shaped to locate said reinforcing member at a position which is substantially displaced from said longitudinal axis.
 7. The anchor as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one end of said anchor has at least two protruding portions extending from the one end away in the direction away from the other end.
 8. The anchor as claimed claim 1 wherein at least one notch is provided on each side of the one end of said anchor, said notches adapted to receive reinforcing members in addition to the reinforcing member received in said aperture.
 9. The anchor as claimed in claim 1 wherein said other end embedded in the concrete has a pair of spaced apart legs.
 10. The anchor as claimed in claim 9 wherein the spaced apart legs have wavelike, sawtooth or like deformations along their lateral edges.
 11. The anchor as claimed in claim 9 wherein the legs are substantially parallel.
 12. The anchor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the other end of the anchor is bent outwardly in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the anchor.
 13. The anchor as claimed in claim 9 wherein the spaced apart legs have wavelike, sawtooth or like deformations in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the anchor.
 14. The anchor as claimed in claim 1 wherein said other end has a single leg with an additional aperture for receiving reinforcing members.
 15. The anchor as claimed in claim 14 wherein said other end is substantially wave shaped.
 16. The anchor as claimed in claim 14 wherein said other end is substantially frustum shaped.
 17. The anchor as claimed claim 1 wherein said through aperture is adapted to receive multiple reinforcing members.
 18. The anchor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the aperture has at least two lobes.
 19. The anchor as claimed in claim 18 wherein the two lobes are connected by a slotted channel.
 20. The anchor as claimed in claim 18 wherein the lobe for receiving the lifting shackle is substantially circular in shape.
 21. The anchor as claimed in claim 18 wherein the lobe for receiving the lifting shackle is substantially elongated circular in shape.
 22. The anchor as claimed in claim 18 wherein the lobe for receiving the lifting shackle is substantially oval in shape.
 23. The anchor as claimed in claim 18 wherein the lobe for receiving the lifting shackle is substantially pear shaped.
 24. The anchor as claimed in claim 18 wherein the lobe for receiving the lifting shackle is substantially rounded square in shape.
 25. The anchor as claimed in claim 18 wherein the lobe for receiving the lifting shackle is substantially teardrop in shape.
 26. The anchor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the aperture is substantially keyhole in shape.
 27. The anchor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the aperture is substantially elongated keyhole in shape.
 28. The anchor as claimed in claim 1 wherein the aperture is substantially teardrop in shape.
 29. The anchor as claimed in claim 26 wherein the anchor has an additional aperture for receiving a reinforcing member.
 30. The anchor as claimed in claim 27 wherein the anchor has an additional aperture for receiving a reinforcing member.
 31. The anchor as claimed in claim 28 wherein the anchor has an additional aperture for receiving a reinforcing member.
 32. A concrete element including at least one of the anchors as claimed in claim
 1. 33. A method of lifting a concrete panel in which a lifting anchor has been embedded, said anchor having a single aperture shaped to simultaneously receive both a lifting anchor and a reinforcing member, said method comprising the steps of: (i) passing a lifting anchor through said aperture, and (ii) lifting said shackle to transfer load directly to said reinforcing member and thereby raise said panel.
 34. A method of lifting a concrete element incorporating at least one of the anchors as claimed in claim
 1. 